The freshly announced Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge has the exact same technical specifications and features of the regular SGS6 model but it's different in two ways: First, its 5.1-inch display curves down either edges. And second, it's more expensive.

To quote Samsung Mobile, "Carefully crafted from metal and glass, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge blend purposeful design with powerful features. The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, particularly, shows unique and outstanding beauty while also providing a solid grip and an immersive viewing experience with the world’s first curved display on both sides."

Not Exactly Similar to Samsung Galaxy Note Edge

Apart from this release, there's one other handset with curved display that's available to consumers currently: the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. That 2014 phablet has a screen that extends only on its left side (albeit deeper). However, that extension actually adds additional space for taking photos, for unlocking the display, or for quickly launching applications, among others. So it serves a clear purpose beyond aesthetics.

In stark contrast, the curved sides of Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge's 5.1-inch 2K SuperAMOLED display don't appear to serve any laudable practical purpose apart from making the phone look unique and improving the user's grip on the device.

Glass-Metal-Glass Sandwich Design Identity

For the first time in history, Samsung made use of both real metal and shatter-resistant glass as defining design elements of its flagship smartphone.

According to the Korean company, "This timeless design [highlighted by an anodized aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass 4 front and back panels] required first-of-its-kind glass crafting technology and unmatched quality control, setting [both the Samsung] Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge apart from every other mobile device on the market. The premium device aesthetics deliver true value and are complemented by a totally new and lighter interface that greatly enhances usability and functionality. A refined and fully optimized user experience simplifies applications and offers features and settings in a more intuitive way."

If you ask me, the phone - particularly the Edge variant - could very well be the most handsome handset that Samsung has designed and released to date. I mean, just take a look at these photos. But the thing is, there are many elements in its design identity that are reminiscent of smartphones by other manufacturers, including Apple iPhone 4, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Sony Xperia Z2, and even Xiaomi Mi4. That said, I'm not sure if I can call its look all that 'unique'.

Stellar Imaging Capabilities

Last year, I got really impressed by the great looking photos that my Samsung Galaxy S5 gave me. Honestly, at first, I wasn't sure if Samsung's very own ISOCELL sensor that debuted on that flagship model could deliver good shots -- but it performed surprisingly well.

This year, both the SGS6 and S6 Edge will come with a similar sensor along with a few imaging hardware and software enhancements. "The F1.9 lenses and high resolution sensors on both front (5MP) and rear (16MP) cameras provide the most superior image quality in a smartphone, even in the dark. In addition, Auto Real-time High Dynamic Range (HDR), Smart Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and IR Detect White Balance provide advanced light sensitivities and crisp camera solutions. Furthermore, a new 'Quick Launch' feature give users fast, direct access to the camera from any screen in just 0.7 seconds by simply double clicking the home key button. These advanced camera functions enable users to capture their most precious and personal moments in uncompromising quality, however and wherever they want," shared Samsung.

One-Touch Type Finger Scanner

Echoing what I wrote in our Samsung Galaxy S6 Philippines feature, "To make the user more secure when using the device, Samsung Galaxy S6 comes with an upgraded Samsung KNOX end-to-end secure mobile platform that offers defense-grade features for real-time protection from potential malicious attacks. It's also ready for immediate enterprise adoption, with market leading MDMs and KNOX enhancements enabled at launch to simplify and improve mobile device management. On top of that, the 'Find My Mobile' feature secures lost devices and protects personal information through a number of services, which include the all-new remotely controlled 'Reactivation Lock.' And sporting an enhanced touch-type fingerprint scanner (as opposed to swipe-type on the Samsung Galaxy S5), SGS6 also provides quick authentication and access all while saving encrypted data in a secure device storage."

All Photos by TabTech

This finger scanner also works with Samsung Pay, which I don't think will be available in the Philippines anytime soon (Though, I'd love to be proven wrong). Protected by Samsung KNOX, fingerprint scanning, and advanced tokenization, Samsung Pay works with both Near Field Communication (NFC) and Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) to make it compatible with most devices, merchants and card issuers that are already out there. This technology has already been certified by MasterCard and Visa, and Samsung is employing key partners worldwide to participate in the service, including Bank of America, Citi, American Express, U.S. Bank and JPMorgan Chase.

It has Powerhouse Innards, Of Course.

As expected from a top-of-the-line release from the Korean Giant, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge has top-notch internal hardware. The phone runs its TouchWiz-skinned Android 5.0.2 Lollipop operating system right out of the box with an Octa Core Exynos 7420 chipset that incorporates four 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex A53 cores, 2.1 GHz ARM Cortex A57 CPUs, and a Mali-T760 GPU. The device also handles multitasking with 3GB of DDR4 RAM, and comes with 32, 64, and 128 GB of non-expandable internal storage options.

Samsung notes that "The world’s first 14nm mobile processor with 64-bit platform, new LPDDR4 memory system and UFS 2.0 flash memory [that are all found inside Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge deliver] higher performance and enhanced memory speed with lower power consumption. Moreover, the world’s first mobile 1440P/VP9 hardware based decoder enables users to enjoy high resolution streaming video while also using less power. In addition, the 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED screen offers users the highest pixel density of 577ppi."

Pricing and Release Date Guesstimate

According to the Korean company, Samsung Galaxy S6 as well as the S6 Edge will be available globally starting from April 10, 2015. Ever since the release of the first Samsung Galaxy S flagship, the Philippines has always been one of the first countries to receive new handset models from the company; Hence, I don't expect any major delays in these phones' launch locally. As for S6 Edge's price, Samsung has yet to make a official announcement regarding that -- but I believe it should have an SRP that's higher than that of the regular variant, which should put it in the price area of Php 40,000 to Php 45,000. But again, that range is just my guesstimate. Here's to hoping that SGS6 Edge would be in a more affordable price bracket (but really, I refuse to hold my breath for it).

Update as of March 19, 2015: Samsung Mobile Philippines has just confirmed that Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge will be launched in the Philippines on April 18, 2015 with price tag of Php 41,990 for the 32GB model and Php 47,990 for the 64GB version.